Notre Dame Becomes the Symbol of Catholic Dissent

The saddest thing of all, and the most tragic, Notre Dame has committed a scandal.

The commencement itself, if you watched it, was a spectacle of non-stop self-congratulation, supercilious flattery, and scripted self-justification. Eloquence was not to be found, though every inane claim to the moral high ground received thunderous applause, until even the robed dignitaries placed carefully behind Obama began to look bewildered. Except for Fr. Jenkins, of course, whose face beamed with the delight of a boy who had avoided punishment for coming home with a failing report card.

Highlights

WASHINGTON (Inside Catholic) - The "party's over" at Notre Dame, as the old Comden and Green song says:

The party's over
It's time to call it a day
They've burst your pretty balloon
And taken the moon away
It's time to wind up the masquerade
Just make your mind up the piper must be paid

Notre Dame chose to honor President Obama. Fr. Jenkins defended the choice with arguments that should make a freshman blush. The mainstream media glossed over the widespread criticism, the withdrawal of Amb. Mary Ann Glendon, and ridiculed demonstrators, like Fr. Frank Pavone, praying at the university's gate.

But at the end the day, the party's over and Notre Dame will pay for the piper for many years to come.

What is the price?

ND has become the symbol of dissent in the Catholic Church (a designation actually deserved by Boston College).

Many bishops will no longer support the institution and many prospective students and their parents will look elsewhere. Without those students, and the goodwill of the bishops, ND will become even more secular than it already is.

Until Fr. Jenkins leaves, and the board membership is overhauled, ND has destroyed its relationship with thousands of alums and hundreds of significant donors. Millions will be lost by the university over the next decade.

The saddest thing of all, and the most tragic, Notre Dame has committed a scandal that, for the time being, has seriously divided and weakened the evangel of the Catholic Church.

The commencement itself, if you watched it, was a spectacle of non-stop self-congratulation, supercilious flattery, and scripted self-justification. Eloquence was not to be found, though every inane claim to the moral high ground received thunderous applause, until even the robed dignitaries placed carefully behind Obama began to look bewildered. Except for Fr. Jenkins, of course, whose face beamed with the delight of a boy who had avoided punishment for coming home with a failing report card.

I recommend everyone put this behind them and pay attention to the meeting today between President Obama and Prime Minister Netanyahu at the White House. The president is far better on the issue of Israel and Palestine than he is on the Catholic Church and its teaching on life issues.

---

The mission of InsideCatholic.com is to be a voice for authentic Catholicism in the public square.We believe that truth is both attractive and compelling and that in the marketplace of ideas, it will invariably win out.

Comments

The
Vatican Congregation for Catholic Education made history last week when
it nominated a Franciscan nun as the first woman head of a pontifical
university. In a position held usually by priests, Sister Mary Melone
will become the rector of the Pontifical ... continue reading

This May 27 nursing students, including Elizabeth Ciocco, will be the first nursing students to graduate from the University of St. Thomas in nearly 25 years. Ciocco joins 298 undergraduates and 739 graduates at the University's 64th Commencement ... continue reading

A few hundred people have undergone cryopreservation procedures since 1962, having their bodies cooled to sub-zero temperatures, with the hope that one day they may be brought back to life using highly advanced technology. It's the kind of issue-along with assisted ... continue reading

It might be easier to compose a short list of people and agencies that don't want to spy on you. Adding his name to the long list, Bill Gates has proposed tracking the lives and careers of college graduates as an ongoing means to assess college value. Of course, they'd ... continue reading

The University of St. Thomas is fortunate to have four outstanding speakers giving lectures on campus in the month of March. These speakers include N.T. Wright, one of the world's leading Bible scholars; Thomas Cardinal Collins, the Archbishop of Toronto; Dr. Andrew ... continue reading

In the male-dominated field of engineering, it can be difficult for women to succeed, but last year, all four graduates of the University of St. Thomas cooperative engineering program were women, and three of them were Hispanic. Dr. Sheila Waggoner said she is proud of ... continue reading

The ideal Mardi Gras king and queen should embody the University's mission to educate leaders of faith and character. With the crowning of C.J. Miller and Meredith Smith The ideal Mardi Gras king and queen should embody the University's mission to educate leaders of ... continue reading

It didn't matter that when 40 college students boarded a bus in Washington, D.C., the temperature was in the teens. It also didn't matter that they had spent the night on blankets and in sleeping bags in cold elementary school classrooms, sans showers, at a parish ... continue reading

In May 2013, merely two weeks after completing final exams, Mary Buckley, Colm Supple and Sarah Tighe, graduates from Mary Immaculate College in Limerick, Ireland, packed their bags and said goodbye to their friends, family and homeland as they journeyed 4,479 miles to ... continue reading

There
was a time in America when graduating from college meant freedom and
unlimited vistas. A sheepskin in the hand was the ticket to new
challenges and rewarding careers. That's not true for seven out of 10
college students, who now are burdened with student ... continue reading